ECU business, engineering, nursing programs nationally ranked; campus recognized for ethnic diversity, social mobility

East Carolina University’s undergraduate programs in business, engineering and nursing are national leaders in preparing students for the workforce, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 Best Colleges released today.

In addition, ECU was recognized in a list of campuses with the most ethnic diversity and for providing graduates with increased social mobility.

ECU’s business, engineering and nursing programs are nationally ranked in the latest list from U.S. News & World Report. (Photos by Cliff Hollis)

Only about half of all national universities in the overall rankings were included on the list for ethnic diversity. ECU has been named as one of the top schools for social mobility each year since the category was created. Social mobility measures how well schools enrolled and graduated students who received federal Pell Grants. This year, ECU ranked in the top 30% for social mobility at 115 out of 439 schools.

ECU’s undergraduate nursing program ranking rose from 76 last year to 67 this year, placing it in the top 10% of schools in the category. ECU’s undergraduate engineering program also moved up to 70 this year from 109 last year in non-doctorate programs, finishing first among three UNC system schools who were ranked in this category. For best undergraduate business programs, ECU ranked 247 this year.

ECU remains a top ranked public national university in North Carolina. ECU ranked 118 out of 227 public schools nationally, and 234 out of 439 national universities. ECU tied with several other universities in both categories.

Forty-nine schools were added to the list of national universities this year and ranked by new Carnegie classifications. Although ranking indicators and weights did not change in U.S. News’ methodology between last year and this year, adjustments were made due to pandemic-related changes to admission requirements. For schools that had fewer than 50% of students submit test scores for fall 2021, average SAT/ACT scores from fall 2020 were used again for this year’s rankings, according to U.S. News’ methodology.

Ranking factors include graduation and retention rates, graduation rate performance, undergraduate academic reputation, faculty resources, financial resources and student selectivity, among others.

U.S. News provides rankings for national universities, national liberal arts colleges, regional universities and regional colleges.